PI: Lawrence Sromovsky, University of Wisconsin at Madison (Space Science & Engineering Ctr), email@example.com
Address: 1225 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI 53706, USA
CoI: Patrick Fry, University of Wisconsin at Madison (Space Science & Engineering Ctr)
Title: Characterization of Seasonal Changes on Uranus
Abstract: Recent images from Keck and HST observatories reveal surprisingly rapid changes in band structure and hemispheric asymmetry as Uranus passed through its 2007 equinox, including the development of a new cloud band in the northern hemisphere since 2006. To characterize associated changes in the vertical and latitudinal distribution of aerosols and methane mixing ratio, we propose spatially resolved NIFS observations of Uranus in J and H spectral bands, with adaptive optics, using the variations of methane absorption with wavelength and view angle to probe different atmospheric levels. We propose to also use NIRI broad-band and narrow-band imaging to provide absolute calibration tie points and better characterization of discrete high-altitude cloud features.
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